Tunnel to Towers Foundation delivers 22 mortgage-free homes to America's heroes

NEW YORK, NY — In recognition of the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has delivered mortgage-free homes to 22 of America's Heroes and the families they left behind.

Tunnel to Towers Foundation paid off the mortgages for:

• Eleven first responders who lost their lives to 9/11related illnesses.

• Five first responders who lost their lives to COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty.

• Four first responders killed in the line of duty

• One catastrophically injured first responder

• One catastrophically injured Veteran

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Fallen First Responder Home Program pays off the mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty, pass away from 9/11related illnesses, and leave behind young children.

New York City Police Department Mounted Unit Officer Francis Gaynor came from a law enforcement family.

He attended the police academy in 1995, where he met his future wife and fellow officer, Lori. Officer Gaynor was diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma attributed to his service at Ground Zero in the months following the attack on the World Trade Center. He developed a tumor in his bile duct and later received a liver transplant in 2021.

In March of 2022, his cancer returned and he spent the following 10 months fighting valiantly every day until he finally succumbed to his illness on January 18th, 2023.

On June 21, 2022, Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office Deputy 1st Class Austin Aldridge was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call.

Just two days before he lost his life, Austin and his wife Jessica found out they were expecting.

In a private ceremony, Tunnel to Towers welcomed Jessica and her infant daughter into a mortgagefree forever home in South Carolina.

To learn more about the 22 families who received mortgage-free homes and the families they left behind, visit T2T.org.

Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to "do good," by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.

Tunnel to Towers is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America Never Forget September 11, 2001.

Visit T2T.org to learn more and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.